CLIMBING KILIMANJARO

Mt. Kilimanjaro has five ecological zones; the lower slopes, rainforest, heather and moorland, alpine desert and the summit. Within each zone there is an association between altitude, rainfall, temperature, plants and animals. The zones occupy belts of approximately 3,281ft (1,000m) of altitude each. In general the temperature falls about 1C for every 6,56ft (200m) increase in altitude, rainfall also decreases steadily with altitude from the forest upward. Plant life is abundant in areas of high temperature and high rainfall. As you climb you will see that plant life decreases due to colder and drier conditions. Wildlife is dependent on plants and because there is less vegetation at higher elevations there…

I get quite a few questions about individual operators. For the most part, people ask my personal opinion about popular companies. I don’t mind giving my thoughts on them. With popular companies, there are plenty of testimonials, trip reports and reviews on the internet so you can form your own opinion based on everything published plus my opinion. But I also do get questions on companies that I’ve never heard of, where there is little to no information available publicly. And I wonder… why would you even think about booking with this company in the first place? Recently, I have been getting questions about Kilimanjaro booking engines such as alienadv.com…

It stands to reason that climbing a mountain, especially one such as Kilimanjaro  requires a certain degree of physical fitness.  This is, of course, very true – hiking is a physically taxing activity.  But it’s only part of the equation.  If you’re planning to climb Kilimanjaro, there are quite a few things you should be doing besides going to the gym.  Fitness First? First, we’ll go over the kinds of physical activity that will help you on the mountain.  Lifting weights may help you look more impressive at the beach, but your ‘bis and tris’ aren’t going to get you to the summit.  The best possible training for hiking up…

Nate Boyer has never been one to let tall odds deter him from tackling challenges. Despite encountering many rejections because he lacked a college degree, he managed to talk his way into a United Nations refugee camp in the Darfur region of Sudan so that he could volunteer there. Without ever having played organized football, he walked on at the University of Texas as a 25-year-old freshman, worked his way into the starting lineup as a long snapper and ultimately earned a scholarship.  At age 34, after serving as a Green Beret in Afghanistan and Iraq, he pursued his dream of trying out for an NFL team, playing in several preseason…

Mount Kilimanjaro is located in Tanzania, a country in East Africa. The mountain is located in the north eastern part of Tanzania, near the Kenyan border. It is located very close to the Equator. Tanzania itself borders eight countries: Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique. Tanzania is one of the safest countries in Africa, with a good infrastructure for tourism. It is also one of the largest countries in Africa (about twice the size of California). The country was formed as a union between the mainland (Tanganyika) and the Zanzibar Isles. The population is 39 million. Over 120 languages are spoken here! Swahili is…

 In 2012, Belinda Bauman visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where she met a woman named Esperance, a 50-year old mother and widower.  During that visit, Esperance told Belinda her story – how rebels had killed her husband while she watched, and how she was subsequently raped within an inch of her life.  If her sisters had not intervened, Esperance is sure that she would be dead. After talking to other local women and doing some research, Belinda found that Esperance’s tragic experience was by no means a rarity.  Violence against women in war zones has become so prevalent that Major General Patrick Cammaert, United Nations Force Commander for…

If you’re climbing Kilimanjaro, you’ve likely done some hiking before, and possibly even have backpacking experience, although neither of these are truly required to make it to the top.  What does matter is that you prepare properly and have a good idea of what to expect.  While being in good shape and having backpacking experience are handy, they also have their drawbacks. Fitness is essential.  You’ll be walking all day for 5-9 days, and your body will be taking a lot of punishment over the course of consistent major altitude changes.  But don’t think that pumping diflucandosage.com weights and running marathons will be helpful on Kili.  Pole, pole – slowly,…

The gear lists for climbing Kilimanjaro are quite extensive (and expensive). People often wonder if one really needs all of that to climb Kilimanjaro. Well, the answer is yes and no. YES – BRING EVERYTHING ON THE GEAR LIST. Why Yes? Because Mount Kilimanjaro is a really tall mountain. The very top of the mountain falls under the “Extreme Altitude” category and is in the Arctic ecosystem. So you have to be ready for very, very cold conditions, including high winds, snow, hail, sleet, and rain. Under these kinds of weather, if you don’t stay dry and warm, you can die of hypothermia. To combat this, you need waterproof items –…

Today, the town of Moshi, Tanzania, exploded with activity as athletes from around the globe came to participate in the 14th annual Kilimanjaro Marathon.  Taking place at the end of February since 2003, the event draws thousands of people to Moshi, the town closest to the base of Africa’s famous Mount Kilimanjaro.  During the rest of the year, Moshi’s economy is fueled by tourists and climbers who have come to challenge the world’s tallest free-standing mountain, but today, people have come for a different challenge, entirely.  There were four separate races available for anyone who cared to join: the Kilimanjaro Premium Lager Marathon (42 km) started off the festivities at…

It was 18 years ago that Brian Berryman saw his mother, Mary Frances Berryman, die from multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer. That traumatic life experience helped drive him to become an oncologist at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. “She died before a lot of newer therapies were available,” Berryman told NBCDFW.com. “So that fuels me both personally and professionally.” Berryman’s efforts to help his patients fight the cruel disease recently motivated him to tackle another feat: Reaching the peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro, the African continent’s tallest free-standing mountain at 19,341 feet. Berryman didn’t do it alone. He and 14 others, a group that includes four patients,…